U.S. Economy: We Are Already in A Recession

I think we are already in recession. I think it began last year in the fourth quarter. Although I believe we have been in a recession for the entire recovery. I never believed that this was a legitimate recover. I think the government has been understating the amount of inflation and therefore overstating the amount of growth. That game is over.

The economy was so weak in the forth quarter that by the time they redo the numbers later in the year they are going to go back and revise that 1 percent growth to negative. And there is a very good chance that we are going to have another negative number for the first quarter of this year.

(Select Sector Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF), SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA), SPDR S&P 500 Index ETF (SPY), Nasdaq 100 Index ETF (QQQ))

Peter Schiff is an American businessman, investment broker and financial commentator. Schiff is the CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc.

Will Draghi Take Europe Deeper Into Negative Rates?

There are some rumors that they are going in that direct. And I think there are nearing the end of the negative interest rates experiment. It has been a disaster, it has blown up in their faces, it is clobbering the European banks which in many cases the stocks are trading lower than they were at their lows in the 2008 financial crisis and negative interest rates are just making the problems bigger.

(Deutsche Bank, Banco Santander, Societe Generale, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, ABN Amro, BPI, BCP, Banco Popular)

Peter Schiff is an American businessman, investment broker and financial commentator. Schiff is the CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc.

The U.S. Will Monetize The Debt Eventually

When foreign governments or foreign individuals buy our bonds, then the U.S. Dollar can stay strong but if we have to print dollars to buy those bonds then the supply of dollars worldwide is exploding and people can see what we are doing, they can see that we are just monetizing our debt and every country that has collapsed has collapsed for the same reason. You can look for examples of what happened to the countries that have monetized their debt. (iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT))

Peter Schiff is an American businessman, investment broker and financial commentator. Schiff is the CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc.

All of America`s Creditors Are Going To Stop Lending Us Money

All of America`s creditors are going to stop lending us money because we have already borrowed more than we can possibly repay.

The U.S. Dollar and U.S. Treasuries are probably the most over owned assets in the world. And if the creditors are going to stop lending us that just leaves the Federal Reserve. Because we either default which would be honest but politically almost impossible or the easier rout is to have the Federal Reserve monetizing the debt. (iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT), U.S. Treasuries)

Peter Schiff is an American businessman, investment broker and financial commentator. Schiff is the CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc.

Markets: Is The Bottom In? Depends On The Fed.

This is all about the Federal Reserve. Wether or not we hit bottom depends on wether the Fed capitulates.

I heard a Fed governor talk about how great the economy is and how it is going to continue on improving. It was Bullard. And Bullard was saying that this year economic growth is going to be a lot faster than it was last year. Last year we were at 1.8 percent and he is saying it will be about 2.5 percent this year.  I do not know where he is getting that number from because this year off to a much worse start than last year.

So, I do not know why he is so optimistic. So, as long as the Federal Reserve has this type of rhetoric it is going to be hard for the market to bottom. (Select Sector Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF), SPDR S&P 500 Index ETF (SPY), Nasdaq 100 Index ETF (QQQ))

Peter Schiff is an American businessman, investment broker and financial commentator. Schiff is the CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc.

Economic Problems Are Made In America

One of the only things that are still made in America are economic problems. To try to blame things on China... This has nothing to do with China. Some of the weakest stocks in the U.S. market are stocks that derive all of their earnings (or the vast majority) in the United States.

Peter Schiff is an American businessman, investment broker and financial commentator. Schiff is the CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc.